This year’s theme of the annual festival promoting Estonian composers’ new works is „Green Sound?” and will take place from April 7–16. During the festival, audiences will hear more than 30 premieres of brand new compositions. As an innovation, the LHV Bank is sponsoring a new composition award called Au-tasu. Additionally, some of the concerts will take place in Viimsi for the first time in the festival’s history.
New works are written by composers Ülo Krigul, Mirjam Tally, Jüri Reinvere, Toivo Tulev, Märt-Matis Lill, Maria Kõrvits, Evelin Seppar, Helena Tulve, Margo Kõlar, Mart Siimer, Marianna Liik and Ardo Ran Varres. The LHV Bank in collaboration with the Estonian Composers’ Union founded the award Au-tasu to acknowledge the newest local classical compositions. All works that were premiered in 2015 are eligible to apply for the award, and the first receipient of the award will be announced on April 15 at the festival’s symphony concert.
During the Estonian Music Days, new classical works will be performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the YXUS Ensemble, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the ensemble Una Corda, pianist Age Juurikas, cellist Leho Karin, and renowned Estonian vocal jazz group Estonian Voices, among others. As a part of the festival, also Mini-EMD – a festival unique in Northern Europe, a modern classical music festival for youth organised by a group of high school students, will also take place.
The EMD is organised by the Estonian Composers’ Union and the festival’s artistic directors are composers Helena Tulve and Timo Steiner. Festival’s theme „Green Sound” focuses on sustainability and the philosophies of recycling and upcycling. It also draws attention to noticing sonic worlds in different environments as well as bringing together musicians from different genres in order to combine contrasting ways of thinking, which result in novel creative works.
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Estonian Music Days